Question: What do you do after you just passed the most unpopular piece of legislation in recent memory and the public still hates it?
Answer: Attack all those who still stand in opposition.
This is the current strategy Obama and the Democrats have embarked upon now that ObamaCare is law. We first saw the plan put into action last weekend, with still yet to be proven, accusation from some Congressional Black Caucus members claiming Tea Partiers made racial slurs against them. Then the Democrats went into full victim mode and claimed all kinds of intimidation from Tea Partiers and the right. The media, ever the lapdogs, dutifully followed.
But the attacks don’t stop there. There is another group that needs to be silenced. That group is the corporations. While the media was busy smearing the Tea Partiers, several companies announced ObamaCare’s nasty side effects on their companies. Catepiller, John Deere, Verizon and AT&T all announced write-downs they would have to take because, ObamaCare eliminates subsidies to these companies for retiree prescription drug programs and tax credits to these companies for providing the program.
Such bad news about ObamaCAre could not go unanswered by the thugocracy. So here comes the threat of Congressional investigations.
From Power Line: These announcements are the tip of the iceberg; hundreds like them will follow as Obamacare becomes a reality. Congressional Democrats, evidently stung by the bad publicity, are trying to strike back. A reader writes:
Good post on the true cost of ObamaCare. But it gets better: the Dems are now shaking down CEOs who don't get with the program. In the attached letter, Henry Waxman not only orders the CEOs of AT&T, Caterpillar, Deere & Co, and Verizon to testify before the Energy and Commerce Committee, but also to produce internal analyses and emails related to their statements. They don't expressly subpoena the CEOs, so we can hope that they tell the Dems to GFY, though somehow I doubt that will happen.
The Dems sent these letters to the Republicans on the committee after 6pm tonight with no advance notice or prior cooperation.
Here is a copy of a letter sent to AT&T signed by Henry Waxman and Bart Stupak.
click to enlarge images
This tactic may work to intimidate giants like AT&T into keeping their programs running longer it won’t work for smaller companies. These smaller companies will have to take their write-downs and abandon their programs immediately. The bad side effects of ObamaCare will be know sooner, rather than later.
Further reading at Legal Insurrection.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: Power Line
Via: Wall Street Journal
Via: CNN
Via: NRO
Via: UPIVia: Michelle Malkin
Via: Legal Insurrection